Washington Capitals: Quick Request to Those of You Going to the Phone Booth

To those of you Capitals' fans that are lucky enough to score tickets to Round 2 of the NHL Stanley Cup playoffs, I have a tiny request.

Please do not make or bring fake Stanley Cups to the game.

The greatest superstition and sin an NHL player can make is touching the Cup before he has earned the right to by winning it.

As an extension of that, I feel the fans help jinx the team when they create their own version of the cup and bring it to the games.

I know what you're thinking, but Josh, we're just fans; we'll never hoist the cup so what harm can it do if we make our own? Or if we're lucky enough to see the cup in person, we can hoist it, can't we?

Well, I have a cautionary tale to any Caps fan who thinks it would be a good idea to touch the Stanley Cup before the team actually wins it.

Several years ago former WWE Champion Chris Jericho had the opportunity to touch the Stanley Cup. Not only did he touch it, but in his book Undisputed How to Become The World Champion in 1,372 Easy Steps, he recounts that he hoisted the Cup up triumphantly and imagined himself doing so as a Winnipeg Jet. A couple of seasons later the Jets moved to Phoenix and became the Coyotes.

Granted I don't believe making fake Stanley Cups will ultimately cause the Capitals to move out of D.C., but I do recall seeing a ton of them at Verizon Center last season, and well, we became the first No. 1 seed to blow a 3-1 series lead to an No. 8 seed.

I know you all are psyched after the big win over the Rangers, I am too, but let's not put the cart before the horse.

The Stanley Cup playoffs are a long and grueling process, and we're still a fraction of the way there.

All I'm asking is that you put the cardboard and the Reynolds Wrap away for the time being and once the Capitals win the Cup, be it this season or 10 seasons from now, then you can go nuts and bring them out to the victory parade.

Until then, let's not give the hockey gods any reason to smite us. Thanking you in advance, Josh.